Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1887-01-07
TIE MOuXr yERnN slLrEa

7 oVn"i lhtcicst III the times aud 1T H
relief from the description Of baths az
tales Of terror and suffering. lfnot al
ihentica'ed, however, they become
itmmed by tradition as to be yalueles'
Accurate versions are proportional
valuable One has been given to me B
an actor, and as it relates to what Woui
ne Of almost universal interest send
% your paper for preservation. | hear
Il from his lips on a beautiful .umme
'fternoon on the spot where th, event
occurred. The blue Ridge" soemeo
slumbering in the bazy distance, th'
peaceful valleys stretched in "pensir'
1nietness between" as If hurting shel
AMI screaming ball hal never disturb
ID their harmony. Ny hosts place va
one Of the historic family homes Of |if-
llna, where peace and plenty and
warm hearted hospitality had rcigned'
'oon to be replaced by the trampns Of
horses and.cIankinG Of sabres; the lawn
was to know a darker hue than that Of
the grass charred timber gave evidence
that The "lived glare Of war" bal fash
ed on tangled shrubbery and d:,olatei
fields.
In the opening days Of D.. war
19Gl) John Augustine Washington
Sas living in Fauquier county He
was the former proprietor Of Mount Yer
non and heir to the family plate IlaT-
ing limited means and oppressed BY the
care and expense cntaied upon him as
owner Of Mount Vernon, with th9 con
slant stream Of visitors and the constant
claims upon his hospitality. be disposed
Of the place to the Ladies Mount Yer
non Association, which has since kept
the house and grounds in repair and
thrown them open to the public Mr.
Washington entered the service Of the
cOnfoderacy aud the overseer 10 charge
of his affairs became very uneasy about
the historic silver under his care, as
union troops were already in the vclnl-
ty. He wrote to my friend, who be
knew, had been appointed executor Of
his (Mr Washington's) will 10 case Of
death, that he could no Longer have
charge of it, lie was told to send it to
Kinloch, the residence of nv friend,
and in few days an OK cart arrived L.
den with the precious articles led in
a large box. The anxious IN a
tt en- presented itself
with it, Iu the mic. y Z
host and his son, "
being, arose aAd'
from the box, puff
With eonsiderab
managed to get 1 4! !!
over a tool hons
the large old-f IL
distance from Y
- the box agak,
e = stable, packing
=. ing the lid on.
- the box back to
it came, with a
&c would not be safe
=. were camped ned
:. alone knew of the
killing place. tn
that the pigeons fro'
= be kept for breeding ,
p. those from another place H. -
to when needed There, durin { fou
i l'ng years of civil strife, did L quictl,
!, rest. Troops bivouaced around It. sol
/. dlers and stragglers ransacked the hous,
# and premises; the barn was burned
. sk'rmlshes occurred almost to the vcr,
! base of the building, yet was its Stun.
0 Der never disturbed. 1t CHANGED that
after leaving Arlington the wife and
family of Gen. Robert L. Lee resided
'or a short tlme with my host. who was
COUSIN and it was coniectured that
papers might have oeen left behind that
would be of value to the government :
IN fact toilet box of the general and
some FAMILY letters were founl in the ice
house This stimulated search Of ex-
naustlye character; rocks were ovcrturn-
Cd the family cemetery invaded, build
'ngs s'rat'ni1ed' and every conceivable
"0oN ana Granny explored by eager eyes,
yet through it all, the Washington
plate covered with dirt and dust and
CRIME rested among the doves as if, in
dee e., it had found an ark of safety.
When at length, the conbat,nts had
exhausted themselves, and tn. las. sui
len gun had resounded in the distance.
It was taken from its dark refuge. the
bags 50 dccayed that thew would not
oear ITS weight and returned to the
incl, |, heirs It's former brave and gen
'I'mnnly owner had given up Ii. life for
cause he believed to be just.
Henry G HAllowrl1,
From III. w.,,,.,... SS,ndy Spring, Nd.
---7'-'z-uS.u-sun.
Representative Springer SAYS he in
IN